Kael opened his eyes slowly and saw a forest above him with long, tall trees swaying gently in the breeze, and soft glowing light streaming through the leaves. Everything felt so heavy and slow, including his whole body, like he didn't fully belong to himself. For a split second, he couldn't recall where he was or have any kind of thoughts; his head was completely blank. Then one by one all the memories came flooding back, including how bad he had felt about failing and how good it was to have almost been in control of that strange feeling he had just before he passed out.
The memories of being looked down upon during his academy exam and hearing others say how he would never be a mage went through his mind. Attempting to leave those harmful words behind; he sought solace in the isolation of the surrounding woods but got lost instead. What he does find at that moment, however, is a calm and quiet man, with dark energy suddenly flooding into his body. In hindsight, it was one of the few truly powerful experiences of his life and is completely gone again leading him to feel distraught and powerless.
A peaceful voice came into his ears, shattering the stillness of the world around him and reintroducing him to reality. It was a very steady state of speech with no real emotional content but possessed great strength and clarity. Kael turned his face towards the voice and saw that the same man whom he had previously viewed in stillness next to the tree was now looking at him as if he had been there waiting for Kael to awaken from his slumber.
Kael attempted to rise; however, he trembled so violently that he nearly fell to the ground. His arms felt incredibly weak, and his legs failed him almost entirely. Kael had given up on his effort to stand and remained where he lay — breathing slowly as he focused on calming himself. His eyes were fixed on the man before him — filled with questions, confusion, and a smidge of fear regarding his situation.
"What happened to me?"
As the man advanced with concentration and without any indication of worry or speed, he approached Kael and examined him thoroughly as though he were conducting an observation, eventually clearly telling Kael in a calm manner what had occurred. There was no change in vocalization, and the man gave a steady recounting of the event; Kael had come into contact with a level of power that his body could not endure.
"You used power your body cannot handle."
Kael gazed down at his palm, anticipating to see something else, and what did he find? All he saw was a completely empty hand: no black mist, no odd energy, and no indication of what he had felt moments ago. This led him to wonder if the experience had actually happened, or if it could have just existed inside his head as well. Even though he could still recall the sensation of that power very vividly, it seemed like it was too far removed from him and therefore unlikely he could ever experience it again!
"Was that really my power?"
"Yes."
Kael just stood there in silence. He still could not comprehend how that was a legitimate response. Did they truly mean that power was his? If so, how was he not able to use it prior to now? Why had it manifested for only an instant before disappearing? Those questions were racing through Kael's head while he continued to attempt to make sense of what was occurring and grew ever more bewildered at the puzzle in his mind as he struggled to isolate the variable in question.
"You said it was sealed… what does that mean?"
With a slight nod, he concurred with Kael but said nothing for the moment. This made his answer appear more meaningful, as if he wanted to say something that he did not say at the moment. The silence of the forest only broke through by the sound of rustling leaves.
"Who sealed it?"
"Have you ever used real power as a child?"
Kael thought about it seriously, digging deep into his memories, but there was nothing that came to mind. It simply wasn't feasible to remember the days when he had used magic, when he had had some kind of power in him. There wasn't anything special that could help him in his current situation.
"No."
"Then your power has always been locked."
Fisting his fingers into a tight ball, Kael felt the anger and determination burning inside him. His powers were sealed away, but there had to be a way to free them. He would no longer be weak, or be plagued by that voice anymore. Fixing his gaze upon the man with serious eyes, Kael posed his question directly.
"Then open it."
"No."
"Why?"
"Because you will die."
After hearing those words, Kael stood stock-still, unable to respond. The response was simple enough, but its meaning was massive – a meaning Kael was unable to ignore. Kael took a moment to think, and then just looked at the man, wondering whether he was just kidding around or was completely serious, but he did not move at all.
"Your body is too weak. If the seal breaks now, the power inside you will destroy you."
However, Kael did not utter a word, as fury, anger, and helplessness churned inside of him. At last, he had something that would prove to him that he was worth something, but now he could not be allowed to use it. It sounded cruel, but he knew that the man was not exaggerating. Slowly, he bowed his head.
"Then what do I do?"
"Train."
Kael chuckled quietly and shook his head, hoping that he could come to terms with this explanation. It seemed utterly absurd to him because he never had anything else aside from magic in his life. However, the person in front of him grabbed his attention again despite his bewilderment.
"I can't even use magic."
"Stop trying to be a mage."
However, Kael could not comprehend those words, as he always thought that magic was the only way one could gain powers. The concept seemed very unusual to him, although some element in the voice of the man told him that those words were said seriously and needed to be considered.
Then, the stranger suddenly picked up a little twig from the ground and threw it at Kael. Surprisingly enough, he caught it immediately without even thinking. It did not possess any kind of magic, which was obvious, but what followed next was very significant indeed.
"Stand up."
Kael slowly stood up, even though his body still felt weak and unstable. He tightened his grip on the stick and tried to focus.
"Hold it like a weapon."
Kael adjusted his grip, holding the stick like a sword, even though it felt strange and unfamiliar.
"This is your new path."
"A sword?"
"Yes."
"I don't know how to use this."
"You will learn."
The man stepped back, creating distance between them, and his posture became more serious. The air around them felt different, like something was about to begin.
"Attack me."
"Are you serious?"
"Yes."
Inhaling deeply, Kael lunged forward, his club swinging out in a powerful attack. It was a simple and straightforward attack, but as Kael had anticipated, his opponent avoided the strike easily.
"Too slow."
Kael attacked again and again, but every strike failed. His breathing became heavy, and his arms started to shake.
"I can't hit you."
"Because you are weak."
Kael lowered his head, but the man continued speaking, reminding him that he was not empty and that his power still existed inside him.
"You are not empty. You have power inside you."
Kael looked at the stick in his hand, then back at the man, feeling something change inside him, small but real.
"Teach me."
"Then don't fall behind."
The wind moved through the trees, and the training truly began.